Mushroom growing includes various basic steps which occur during generally fixed time periods. Basically the procedures for mushroom growing are the following:
______________________________________ 1) Outside composting. 2) Filling of the growing rooms with compost. 1 day 3) Pasteurization of the compost in the 10 days growing rooms. 4) Application of mushroom spawn (seed) and 1 day supplements onto the mushroom growing beds or trays and mixing throughout the compost. 5) Spawn run. During this time frame the spawn 14 days begins to colonize the compost with mycelium. 6) Casing the fully colonized compost with 1 day peat moss. 7) Pinhead formation and fruiting of mushrooms. 18 days 8) Picking and caring for the crop. 23 days ______________________________________
It is known that if mushroom beds are covered with a solid plastic film on the same day the spawn is mixed into the compost (see Step 4 above) and kept there during the spawn run (see Step 5 above) there are many advantages. One of the most important advantages is that it prevents moisture loss in the compost which in turn increases mushroom production. Another advantage is that it keeps airborne pathogens from landing on the compost and causing disease. The plastic film is removed after spawn run on the day of Casing (see Step 6 above). There are, however, some disadvantages. One of the disadvantages is that the compost temperatures tend to run hotter which increases the cooling capacity needed, which in turn increases energy costs. Another disadvantage is that the CO.sub.2 level in the compost gets too high.
In recent years many mushroom farms around the world have had devastating crop losses by a new strain of green mold. This strain of green mold causes severe crop losses and in some cases no crop whatsoever. Many mushroom farms have gone out of business due to this disease because the disease is airborne and it is extremely hard to keep these airborne spores out of new growing rooms. This disease has been as devastating to the mushroom crop as the weevil was to the cotton crop.